For a logistics operator, SQAS certification indicates strong chemical good transport capabilities.

In April 2021, the Russian division of the AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG international corporate group underwent an audit for compliance with Safety & Quality Assessment for Sustainability (SQAS) standards as defined by the European Chemical Industry Council. The Council developed these comprehensive standards as a way to assess the safety and quality of how chemical products are handled.

To prepare for the audit, AsstrA Russia thoroughly reviewed the company’s supplier interaction processes, readiness to respond to emergencies, overall approach to risk management, and IT system stability.

The AsstrA team exercises great care when working with dangerous goods. Such products often have potentially harmful characteristics and are transported in extra strong containers or tanks designed to prevent contamination from foreign substances. When transporting these goods, the top priority is guaranteeing the safety of people's lives and the environment. Asstra-Associated Traffic AG is firmly committed to ensuring compliance with all transportation regulations, providing personnel with adequate training, maintaining proper technical condition of equipment, and working with qualified contractors.

Over the past 6 months, the AsstrA corporate group transported a 39.8 thousand tons of liquid chemicals. These shipments included 31 thousand tons of minerals and products used in  chemical and perfume industries, 7 thousand tons of food products, and 1.5 thousand tons of rubbers and plastics. During the same period, AsstrA delivered more than 500 thousand tons of dangerous goods, including 480 thousand tons of minerals, perfumes and chemicals, 3.7 thousand tons of rubbers and plastics, and 433 tons of food products.

Lyudmila Abragimovich

"From January to March 2021, we handled 23% more transport orders for dangerous chemical products compared to the same period last year,” says Lyudmila Abragimovich, Head of AsstrA Chemicals Logistics. “For customers from the chemical industry, it is extremely important that a logistics partner's services meet the right safety and quality standards. Also, certification is a prerequisite for loading cargo at some chemical plants. We are confident that our new SQAS certification will help us not only strengthen our relationships with existing customers but also start working with new ones."